San Diego selected a longtime resident as its next poet laureate, continuing a program that places literary work within civic life.
The laureate role combines writing with public service through readings, workshops, commissions and community projects. It gives poetry a presence at public events and creates new points of access for emerging writers.
The appointment was less about a ceremonial title than a term of work. Its impact would be reflected in whose voices entered the program and where across the city those voices were heard.